5/25/2023 0 Comments Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay![]() ![]() ![]() This is a world filled with decadence at times and humility at others, and Kay treats both with a sense of dignity and wonder. He slowly builds the complex society, the rich cast of characters, and the sweeping landscapes with timeliness and aplomb. Known for his historic fantasy, Kay takes the readers to a land reminiscent of eighth-century China with Under Heaven. This type of language helps build the fantastic world Kay brings to the reader. ![]() Whether it is the description of a city, a heartbreaking moment, or even a line of wisdom, the words emerge beautiful and enticing. It is as if Kay has found a way to turn the English language into a meal, serving it up like a five-star restaurant. Poetry plays such an important role in the story, and it was clear from the very beginning that it influences Kay’s writing as well. The greatest thing about this book was its musicality. ![]() Once word gets out about his gift of Heavenly Horses, Tai finds himself being dragged back into a world of politics, intrigue, and danger in which he must face old loves and new enemies. Then the Empress of Tagur sends him a royal gift in the form of two hundred and fifty Sardian, or Heavenly Horses: enough to make Tai wealthy beyond imagination, and enough to mark him for death. At the end of two years, he is still unfinished. In Guy Gavriel Kay’s stand-alone novel Under Heaven, Shen Tai takes it upon himself to bury the dead at Kuala Nor, the site of a horrendous battle between Tai’s country Kitai and a rival nation, in honor of his recently deceased father. ![]()
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